Terminal and terminal wire connector



Jan. 8, 1957 w. H. EDMUNDS TERMINAL AND TERMINAL WIRE CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1953 Jan. 8, 1957 w. H. EDMUNDS .TERMINAL. AND TERMINAL WIRE CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25. 1953 INVENTOR.

mum 1 uamtp QMuMES C i gg t d StfltfiS g TERMINAL AND TERMINALIWIRE CONNECTOR William Harold Edmilnds, Havel-town, Pa., assignor to I-T-E Circuit Breaker Com any, Philadelphia, Pa.

ApplicatlonMay 1953 Serial Not-356,931

1 Claim. (Cl. 33'92'72)' v Thisinvention relatesto terminal andtern' inal' wire connector arrangements. and is more particularly dinectors of adjacent poles. The. minimum standards which are prescribed for example bythe Underwriters Laboratory Inc. insure that sufiicient insulation exist between adjacent terminals so as to prevent leakage between.

Thus, the molding and positioning of the terminal members are properly preselected so that a predetermined minimum creepage and leakage distance will be achieved. However, it the rotationof the terminal connectors is not controlled, adjacent terminal blocks may twist tor to the terminal.

wards each other thereby 'substantially'reducin leakage andcreepage distance from the predetermined-value and theicircuit breakers may not pass the rigid test requirements'. Thus, it is of utmost importance that vtheterdesigned location to maintain proper distance; between between adjacent units.

Thus, it is not only necessary to provide the recesses for seating the terminal and terminal connectors in the molding at a predetermined distance from each other but it is also necessary to insure that the terminal connector, once positioned on the terminal bar, remains in its predetermined position.

In the prior art arrangement, terminal connectors were constructed with protruding sections from one end thereof which extended over the terminal bar. However, this arrangement, although initially designed to prevent rotation or turning of the terminal connector when installed or in operation, has been ineffective in many applications to prevent rotation. Thus, even though the recesses within the molding of the circuit breaker are appropriately spaced, the rotation of adjacent terminal connectors toward each other materially reduces the leakage distance therebetween.

One primary reason for the failure of the prior art terminal connector resulted from the fact that the protrusions from the edge of the terminal connector serve only to prevent rotation thereof in one direction. Hence, it was necessary to provide two protrusions which respectively prevented clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. However, in the event of damage or failure of one of the protruding units, the terminal connector was free to rotate in the direction which the damaged protrusion was designed to restrict.

In my novel terminal and terminal connector, I provide two protruding sections from the bottom surface of the terminal which extend from the central portion thereof into complementary recesses of the terminal bar. Thus, each of the mating sections will prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation thereof. Thus, in the event of failure or damage to either one of the proanimal connectors be securelyv positioned in their: pre- 7 2,777,119 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 2. truding sections, the remaining unit will be effective to prevent clockwise and counterclockwise rotation.

Accordingly,'a primary object of my invention is to providev a novel terminal and terminal wire connector arrangement havingtwo keyed sections each of which is e'fiective to prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the units.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel soid 'rless terminal arrangement in which the. protruding section of thete'rminal connector extends from the bottom surface and mates with a corresponding groov in the rennin-a1 to thereby prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation at the terminal connecton These. and other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings in which: 7

Figure 1- is an exploded perspective view of my novel terminal and terminal wire connector.-

Figures 211,217 and 2c are detailed views of the terminal wherein Figure 2a shows a side view of the terminal; Figure 25 a top view of the terminal and Figure2c an end view of the terminal.

' Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are detailed views of theterminal wire connector. wherein Figure 3a is a side viewillustratedwith one wall transparent; Figure 3b is a bottom view-andFigurc 3c is an end view.

. Figure 4 is an end view or the terminal andterminal wire connector showing the key engagement therebetween. 9 Figure 5 is a. cross-sectional view illustratingthe eng-agement and attachmentof the terminal wire connector Referring now to Figures 1 through 5, the terminal 10 is a cup unit. which will be secured to a molded housing of acircuitbreaker by a nut or bolt passingthrough theopening .11. The conductors for. one pole. of the circuit breaker will be brazed or soldered to the left end of the terminal connector at the area generallyindicated at 12. The right hand end of the terminal 10 is provided with a hollow cylindrical section 13 which may be permanently secured to the terminal 10 in any desirable manner such as by soldering as indicated by the numeral 14 in Figure 5. The hollow opening of the cylindrical section 13 is in alignment with the opening 16 of the terminal connector which is adapted to receive the terminal connector holding screw 17.

The terminal connector 20 is a rectangular shaped metallic unit which may be made of any desirable conducting material such as copper. A threaded opening 21 in the upper surface thereof receives the screw 22 which will be used to hold and maintain a conductor within the terminal connector 20.

A rider 23 is positioned on the reduced non-threaded bottom section of the screw 22 and a rivet 24 is passed through the bottom of the rider into the screw 22. As best seen in Figures 30 and 4, the rivet is peened over the bottom surface of 23 to permit the rider 23 to float on the bottom of the screw 22. The head of the rivet 24 may be flush with or positioned below the surface of the rider 23. The bottom surface of the terminal connector 20 has a threaded opening 25 to receive the terminal connector holding screw 17.

As will hereinafter be apparent, a lock washer 35 is provided for the screw 17 to insure that it will be maintained in position after it has secured the terminal connector 20 to the terminal 10.

The terminal connector 20 may be provided with a protruding cylindrical section 27 which surrounds the threaded opening 25 to mate with the opening 16 of the terminal 10. Two protruding sections 30 extend from the bottom surface of the terminal connector 20. The

As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, when the terminal connector 20 is positioned on the terminal 10, the protruding sections 30 and 31, respectively, will mate with the recessed portions 32 and 33 of the terminal 10.

Thus, it willbe noted that after the screw 17 has been positioned through the opening 16 of the terminal and into engagement with the opening 25 of the terminal connector 20, this latter unit can be tightened firmly to the terminal 10 so that its bottom surface 40 is flush with the top surface of the terminal. -T'hat is, since the protruding sections 30 and 31 key into the recessed sections 32 and 33, the terminal connector 20 can be flush on the terminal 10.

With this arrangement, both, the cooperation of protrusion 30 with the recess 32 and the cooperation of the protrusion 31 with the recess 33 will prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the terminal connector 20, and also insure proper alignment of the terminal connector 20 with the terminallO. Hence, when either one of the protruding sections or 31 is damaged or removed, the remaining protruding section will prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. v f

After the terminal connector 20 is securely positioned on top of the terminal 10 by means of the screw 17, the

wire may be inserted within the opening between the rider 23 and the bottom surface of the terminal connector. This area is indicated generally as in Figures 30 and 4. The screw 22 may then be rotated so that it will move in a desired direction thereby bringing the rider 23 into engagement with the conductor so that it will be sandwiched between the rider 23 and the bottom surface of the terminal connector. It will be noted that the rider 23 is preferably provided with a transverse serrated section 42 at its bottom to insure that-the wire will be firmly held in position and not permitted to slip out of the conductor,

In the foregoing, I have described my invention only in connection with preferred embodiments thereof. Many variations and modification-s of the principles of my invention within the scope of the description herein are obvious. Accordingly, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosure herein but only by the appending claim.

I claim:

A solderless terminal arrangement comprising a terminal wire connector; said terminal and said terminal wire connector made of electrically conducting material and arranged for high pressure electrical contact; said terminal wire connector having an opening at one end thereof to receive an external electrical connection to said terminal arrangement; said terminal wire connector having a threaded opening in the bottom surface thereof; said terminal having an opening extending therethrough and positioned in alignment with the threaded opening in said terminal connector; stamped protrusions surrounding said threaded opening in said terminal connector and extending from the bottom surface thereof; stamped recesses in the upper surface of said terminal and positioned around the periphery of the opening therein; said threaded opening adapted to receive securing means which passes through said opening in said terminal, and by threaded engagement with said opening in said terminal connector secures said terminal connector to said terminal; said protrusions seated in said recesses when aid terminal connector is secured to said terminal by means of said securing means; said seating engagement between said protrusions and said recesses effective to align said terminal connector with said terminal and prevent both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of said terminal connector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,025,246 Cole May 7, 1912 1,221,713 Fahnestock Apr. 3, 1917 2,128,513 Dotterer Aug. 30, 1938 2,173,206 Landmeier Sept. 19, 1939 2,538,912 Road Jan. 23, 1951 

